The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
CRIMJ 230: Corrections in America (3 credits) Punishment and treatment of sentenced offenders, correctional institution organization, staffing, inmates, and subcultures.
The course begins with corporal punishment and moves through the current use of the death penalty. Implementations of statutory design are analyzed in terms of bipartisanship and human rights. Special populations such as drug offenders, sexual offenders, young offenders, violent offenders, and mentally challenged offenders are singled out for particular emphasis. This is accomplished using the texts as well as assigning refereed journal articles and using films and collaborative assignments. Gender issues in terms of imprisonment, sentence disparity, and rehabilitation philosophies are addressed considering children, race, education, and family background. New challenges such as treatment of sex offenders, predatory sexual offender statutes, three strikes legislation, and mandatory drug treatment are viewed from a research and policy perspective. Administrative and operational issues within community corrections and institutional corrections are viewed from management, union, correctional officer, gender, and prisoner perspectives. Prison violence and the challenges to prevent such violence are introduced in terms of control, overcrowding, accountability, and public safety. Diseases, medical conditions, and the aging population are surveyed as current and future challenges for funding. Students will leave the course having surveyed institutional and non-institutional corrections, statutory requirements for sentencing, treatment of special populations, and use of refereed journals for future research.
What will be covered in this course?
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to those components of the criminal justice system that deal with convicted criminal offenders, either in institutional or community-based settings. The material covered in this course can be roughly divided into three distinct sections. Covered first are topics that provide the foundation for understanding the correctional enterprise. They include a history of prison development in the United States, an overview of the sentencing process, and an analysis of the trends and issues affecting corrections over the past several decades. Next, the issue of offenders serving sentences in the community is examined. The various intermediate sanctions available within the justice system are presented along with an in-depth consideration of probation, the most frequently used correctional disposition. Lastly, the course enters the world of the correctional institution. Prisons, jails and the myriad issues surrounding these facilities are touched upon.
This course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge of contemporary American corrections. Particularly at the beginning of the course, time will be spent separating "myth from reality" with respect to correctional operations. The course will span the gamut from the history of corrections to future issues to consider. Specific goals for the students include:
To become familiar with correctional terminology;
To understand the purpose of corrections in the United States;
To recognize the various processes and forms of correctional dispositions used for convicted offenders;
To recognize the problems associated with contemporary corrections;
To identify the difficulties associated with offenders exiting prison and returning to their communities.
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a
distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor
2 GHz or higher
Memory
1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space
20 GB free disk space
Browser
We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled.
Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.
Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Each week students will receive a grade for participation in posting comments in the Reflection Discussion Forums. Active participation in the discussion forums is essential to successful completion of the course. The comment grading is based on the following criteria: significance of ideas, originality of thought, clarity of expression and organization of ideas, timeliness, and appropriate language (civility, no excessive jargon, etc.)
Weekly Assignments
Besides working on different components of the research proposal paper throughout the course, students are also required to participate in two discussion forums and turn in four papers.
Research Proposal
Students will also complete a research paper on a topic of his or her choosing related to corrections in America. Click Research Paper Guidelines for specifics Your grade for this research paper is based on the accuracy and depth of content, clarity of presentation, appropriateness of selected literature to the paper topic, quality of the reviews of each selected study, and proper style (citations, grammar, etc.).
Homework -- Discussion Forums and Short Papers
Your postings in discussion forums and short papers should demonstrate a critical analysis of points others have made (versus a summary of what was written) and should weave in references to shared and individually-discovered readings, resources and experiences.
Exams
There will be three exams throughout the semester that will be of both an objective (multiple-choice, matching, etc.) and short answer (fill in the blank) format. The total possible points for each exam will be 100. All exams will be non-cumulative, focusing exclusively on the topics covered in the previous class sessions.
Exams will be completed online through ANGEL.
If, at the end of the semester, your participation is less than 50% in any one activity (discussions, writing assignments, homework, tests) you will receive a failing grade for the course.
Grading Schemes:
Grading Items
Points
Reflection Discussion Forum Postings
10 points per lesson (10@12)
120
Homework
Lesson 1 Discussion Forums
10
Lesson 2 Discussion Forums
10
Lesson 3 Position Paper
15
Lesson 5 Report
15
Lesson 6 Response Paper
15
Lesson 10 Position Paper
15
Research Proposal
Lesson 4 Topic Choice
10
Lesson 7 Annotated Bibliography
20
Lesson 8 Outlines
30
Lesson 9 First Draft
40
Lesson 11 Final Draft
100
Exam
Exam 1
100
Exam 2
100
Exam 3
100
Total
700
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Module 1 - Introduction to Corrections and Community-Based Sanctions (Lesson 1-4)
Lesson 1: An Overview of Corrections
Readings:
Read Chapter 1 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Assignments:
Post Comments to the Lesson 1 Reflection Discussion Forum on Typical Prisons.
Participate in the Lesson 1 Court Case discussion forum.
Lesson 2: A Brief History of Punishment
Readings:
Read Chapter 2 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read the following two articles about the 1994 caning sentence imposed on American teenager Michael Fay in Singapore:
Rough Justice -- A Caning in Singapore Stirs Up a Fierce Debate About Crime and Punishment, written by Alejandro Reyes (http://www.corpun.com/awfay9405.htm )
Read Chapter 6 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read an opinion piece written by a critic of the Dauphin County Prison.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 5 Reflection Discussion Forum on Jail.
Submit a report in Lesson 5 Jail Report drop box.
Lesson 6: An Overview of the Prison
Readings:
Read Chapter 7 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read Foreword, Introduction, and Chapter 1 in Byrne, Hummer, and Taxman's The Culture of Prison Violence.
Listen to the stories -- "360 Degrees" is a multi-media exploration of experiences of the U.S. criminal justice system. "Stories" presents first-person narratives by inmates, guards, judges, lawyers, and victims or their families, accompanied by audio from the National Public Radio "Prison Diaries" series. For this particular lesson, please listen to the story of Darryl Best, who was sentenced to 15 years to life in New York for a drug crime.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 6 Reflection Discussion Forum on Prisons.
Submit a response paper to the Lesson 6 Incarceration drop box.
Lesson 7: Leaving Prison -- Parole and Reentry
Readings:
Read Chapter 8 in Schmalleger and Smykla'sCorrections in the 21st Century.
Read Chapter 2 in Byrne, Hummer, and Taxman's The Culture of Prison Violence.
Read Austin and Hummer's article "The Effect of Legal and Extra -Legal Variables on Recommending and Granting of a Pardon" via Library Reserves. This article examines the pardons process in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 7 Reflection Discussion Forum on Pardons.
Submit your annotated bibliography to the Lesson 7 Annotated Bibliography drop box.
Lesson 8: Staff Experiences Behind Bars
Readings:
Read Chapter 9 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read Chapters 4, 5 and 7 in Byrne, Hummer, and Taxman's The Culture of Prison Violence.
Assignments:
Post Comments to the Lesson 8 Reflection - Perspective and Lesson 8 Reflection - Revisit Discussion Forums on your perspective on what you think life is like in an American prison.
Submit the outlines of your research paper to the Lesson 8 Outlines drop box.
Read Chapter 10 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read Chapters 3, 6, and 9 in Byrne, Hummer, and Taxman's The Culture of Prison Violence.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 9 Reflection Discussion Forum on Violence and Disorder.
Submit the first draft of your research paper to the Lesson 9 First Draft drop box.
Lesson 10: Prison Issues and Inmate Legal Rights
Readings:
Read Chapters 11, and 12 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read Chapter 8 in Byrne, Hummer, and Taxman's The Culture of Prison Violence.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 10 Reflection Discussion Forum on Prisoner Rights.
Submit a position paper into the Lesson 10 Human Rights in Prison drop box.
Lesson 11: Issues and Concerns in American Prisons
Readings:
Read Chapter 13 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Read Chapter 10 in Byrne, Hummer, and Taxman's The Culture of Prison Violence.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 11 Reflection Discussion Forum on Overcrowding.
Submit the final draft of your research paper to the Lesson 11 Final Draft drop box.
Submit the end-of-course survey.
Lesson 12: The Death Penalty and America’s Prisons
Readings:
Read Chapter 15 in Schmalleger and Smykla's Corrections in the 21st Century.
Assignments:
Post Comments to Lesson 12 Reflection Discussion Forum on Viewpoints on American Correction.
Prepare for Exam 3.
Exam 3
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
According to Penn State policy
G-9: Academic Integrity
(for undergraduate students in undergraduate courses) and policy
GCAC-805 Academic Integrity
(for graduate students and undergraduate students in graduate courses), an academic integrity violation is “an intentional,
unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to
gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student
academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete
all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been
permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with
papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you
to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from
Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must
identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information,
use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share
instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity
should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw
from the affected course
unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see
G-9: Academic Integrity
or
GCAC-805 Academic Integrity
as appropriate). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students
will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students
who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic
outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other
outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail
elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from
their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal
integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help
create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the
fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is
requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, procedures
allow a student to accept or contest/appeal the allegation. If a student
chooses to contest/appeal the allegation, the case will then be managed by
the respective school, college or campus Academic Integrity Committee.
Review procedures may vary by college, campus, or school, but all follow the
aforementioned policies.
All academic integrity violations are referred to the
Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, which may assign an educational intervention and/or apply a Formal
Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion.
Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy is
included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a
course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course,
please contact us by going to the
Contacts & Help page.
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Students with disabilities participating in internship, practicum, student teaching, or other experiential learning opportunities as part of their degree requirements may also be eligible for reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity. These accommodations are determined through an interactive process involving the student, their University supervisor, and the site supervisor. Student Disability Resources can assist students with identifying potential barriers, facilitating accommodation requests, and coordinating with University supervisors to promote inclusive learning experiences.
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the
World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any
such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.
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